Generally, a hair transplantation operation extracts a follicle (i.e., a follicular unit) from a portion of a scalp where there are a relatively number of hairs, and transplants the extracted follicular unit into a scalp requiring hair transplantation.
The hair transplantation operation uses a strip method and an FUE method.
The strip method, a type of scalp incision method, is a method of extracting a number of follicular units by performing a surgical operation on a portion of a scalp. That is, the strip method includes a stupefaction process, a strip incision process, a suturing process, a follicular unit extraction process, and a hair transplant process using hair transplant equipment.
The FUE method of the related art, a type of non-incision method, is a method of extracting an individual follicle (i.e., a follicular unit) one by one.
For example, in a case of extracting a follicular unit, the FUE method of the related art incises a portion near a follicular unit of a scalp by using a follicular unit extraction mechanism, separates the follicular unit from the scalp by using a suction means provided as one body in the follicular unit extraction mechanism, and collects the separated follicular unit in a vessel for separately keeping the follicular unit or locates the separated follicular unit on a medical gauze.
Subsequently, the kept follicular unit may be manually transplanted by an operator or may be transplanted through an automation means.
For example, in the related art, a slit is provided near the scalp, which is a follicle transplantation target, by using a slit needle, and the follicular units collected in the vessel are arranged or are aligned on the gauze. Subsequently, the follicular units are grabbed one by one by a pincetter, and the one grabbed follicular unit is inserted into the scalp having the slit.
Particularly, in the hair transplantation operation field, the slit may denote a narrow hole which before the follicular unit is inserted into the transplantation part, is previously formed in a transplantation part of a scalp by using the slit needle or a dedicated mechanism such as a chisel having a width of 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm, or may denote a surgical operation itself of previously forming the narrow hole.
However, the FUE method of the related art causes inconvenience where after follicular units are extracted, the follicular units should be aligned near a follicular needle for transplanting the follicular units, and moreover, has a drawback where a slit needle difficult to automatically supply should be used for hair transplantation.
Moreover, in the FUE method of the related art, in a case of performing a transplantation operation by using a pincette and/or the like, since follicular units are aligned and grabbed and then are transferred by a hair transplantation needle, an action of an operator is performed twice or more for at least one follicular unit, and for this reason, much time is taken in a surgical operation, and a high-intensity skill level of the operator is needed.
Moreover, a doctor which is an operator needs a nurse or an assistant for a hair transplantation operation, and due to a long surgical operation time, a patient for which a surgical operation is to be performed has a large burden.
In the related art, the following patent document 1 discloses a follicle loading apparatus and method and discloses technology for transferring a follicular unit, previously extracted from a scalp, into a follicle supply unit.
However, the patent document 1 of the related art does not disclose a method which quickly transfers a follicular unit to the follicle supply unit in order for the follicular unit to be extracted from a scalp and directly used for hair transplantation, and for this reason, the details of the patent document 1 cannot solve a problem where a total hair transplantation operation time increases relatively.
Moreover, a patent document 2 of the related art provides only a hair transplant equipment for hair transplantation using a follicle supply pipe having the same method and structure as those of the follicle supply unit of the patent document 1, but does not disclose a method or a means for previously and effectively loading a follicular unit into the follicle supply pipe. For this reason, it is very difficult to quickly transplant a follicular unit.